Comparisons with regard to clinical response to induction treatment.

<p>Comparisons with regard to clinical response to induction treatment.</p

Patient characteristics.

<p>Patient characteristics.</p

Antiphospholipid antibody positivity and levels.

<p>Antiphospholipid antibody positivity and levels.</p

Comparisons with regard to the induction treatment regimen.

<p>Comparisons with regard to the induction treatment regimen.</p

Creatinine levels (μmol/L) in LN patients with and without IgG aPL.

<p>At baseline, creatinine levels were higher in LN patients with (n = 8) versus without (n = 56) IgG aCL (A; median: 104.5 μmol/L, range: 64–185, versus 77.0 μmol/L, range: 46–284; p = 0.03). Consistently, creatinine levels were higher in LN patients with (n = 9) versus without (n = 55) IgG anti-β₂-GPI (B; median: 94.0 μmol/L, range: 64–18, versus 75.0 μmol/L, range: 46–284; p = 0.02). Similar findings were observed post-treatment, with higher creatinine levels in LN patients with (n = 6) versus without (n = 58) IgG aCL (C; median: 86.5 μmol/L, range: 72–128, versus 75.5 μmol/L, range: 40–306; p = 0.04), as well as with (n = 6) versus without (n = 58) IgG anti-β₂-GPI (D; median: 86.5 μmol/L, range: 72–128, versus 75.5 μmol/L, range: 40–306; p = 0.04). Bounds of the boxes denote the 25^th and 75^th percentiles (IQR). Lines in the boxes denote the 50^th percentile (median). Whiskers denote the range. Circles (out values, 1.5–3 IQRs further from the closest box bound) and stars (far out or extreme values, ≥3 IQRs further from the closest box bound) denote outliers. Some extreme values do not appear in the figure due to scaling. LN: lupus nephritis; aCL: anticardiolipin antibodies; anti-β₂-GPI: anti-β₂-glycoprotein I antibodies.</p

Comparisons between baseline and post-treatment outcomes.

<p>Comparisons between baseline and post-treatment outcomes.</p

MMc in controls and healthy individuals in previously published reports.

<p>* Not provided; ** Quantitative real-time PCR; *** single-nucleotide polymorphism; **** Amplification refractory mutation detection system polymerase chain reaction</p

Patients’ characteristics.

<p>* Manifestations are defined according to American College of Rheumatology’s 1982 revised criteria for SLE [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0074534#B44" target="_blank">44</a>], SLAM = Systemic Lupus Activity Measure, a validated measure of disease activity [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0074534#B45" target="_blank">45</a>], SLICC = Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics damage index, a validated cumulative organ damage [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0074534#B46" target="_blank">46</a>], APS =antiphospholid syndrome was diagnosed according to the Sydney criteria [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0074534#B47" target="_blank">47</a>]</p

Stratified analysis of atherosclerosis measurements in subgroups of patients with their individually matched controls.

<p>Stratified analysis of atherosclerosis measurements in subgroups of patients with their individually matched controls.</p

Age and sex-adjusted and multivariable analyses of the associations between measured variables and plaques in 281 SLE patients.

<p>Age and sex-adjusted and multivariable analyses of the associations between measured variables and plaques in 281 SLE patients.</p